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What to See at Gloucestershire Tech Week 2025

13–17 October 2025
8 min read
Epoch AI Consulting

Gloucestershire is about to turn up the dial on tech. From 13–17 October 2025, the region will host its first full-blown Tech Week, bringing together innovators, businesses, investors and curious minds around AI, automation, and secure innovation.

Cheltenham Town Hall

What Is "Gloucestershire Tech Week"?

The initiative is led by CyNam (Cheltenham's cyber & tech hub) under the banner of the Secure Futures Series, positioning Gloucestershire as a growing centre for secure, deep-tech innovation.

The "Gloucestershire's First Tech Week: All-Week Access Pass" gives attendees access to keynote talks, panels, networking, evening headliners, and pop-up activations.

The goal: showcase local tech strengths (especially cyber), spur cross-sector collaboration, bring global voices in, and put our region more clearly on the map in the UK tech scene.

This is aligned with the broader UK Tech Week network, in which CyNam is a regional partner. So, this isn't just a week of local "meetups." It's a concerted push to elevate innovation, investment, and tech-driven growth across Gloucestershire.

Highlights & Notable Sessions — AI, Automation & Cyber Focus

Below are some of the most relevant sessions for businesses interested in AI, automation, and technology adoption.

Opening Keynote: CONNECT
13 Oct, morning
Launch of Tech Week, setting themes, vision, local & national perspectives. Good place to get the "big picture" of what the region wants tech to look like.
"Powered by Gloucestershire" Panel
13 Oct
Founders, tech leaders, insiders discussing the regional ecosystem. Insights into what's working, what's missing, and how local businesses get involved.
Secure Futures: UK-APAC Dialogue on Emerging Tech
Throughout the week
A panel / discussion threading global tech trends into local context. Useful for spotting what's upstream globally and how Gloucestershire might plug into that.
Nick Clegg: How to Save the Internet
Evening headline talk
While not purely technical, this kind of "big idea" talk can attract broader awareness and legitimacy.
Pop-ups / Activation spaces
Throughout the week
Small exhibits, demo tables, deep-tech show & tell. Good for catching AI / automation tools live, meeting founders, sparking local collaborations.
RTPI: "Technology in Planning & the Built Environment"
21 Oct, Cheltenham
Practical sessions on using AI in planning, VR, legal & ethics, demos of AI-driven platforms like Xylo & Landstack. Though slightly outside core Tech Week dates, very relevant for architects, planning firms, local councils.
Meetup: Data Science & AI Tech Talks (Ripjar)
During the week
Talks like "Using AI to Build AI" and "Test-Driven Data Analysis" in a relaxed format. Great for practitioners, teams, or curious tech leads wanting to dig deeper into AI tooling and processes.
Workshop: "AI & Data-Driven Innovation in SMEs: Senior Leaders Breakfast"
Cheltenham
Local event in Cheltenham showing how businesses can adopt AI / Copilot / data tools. Very practical and accessible for non-technical leaders to get a footing in AI.

Key Themes to Watch For

AI for AI / automation in workflows
How tools can generate data, validate models, write code, monitor guardrails (e.g. Ripjar's "AI to build AI" talk)
Ethics, governance & risk
Alongside enthusiasm for AI, many sessions plan to handle trust, data privacy, regulation, and legal guardrails (particularly in planning & public sector)
Cross-sector applications
AI + planning, AI + public sector / local government, automation in SMEs, hybrid hardware/AI combos (IoT, robotics, etc.)
Demonstrations & mini-labs
Physical exhibits where AI or digital tools are live, giving you a chance to test, question, see demos
Bridging local–global connections
Panels with external voices (e.g. dialogues with Asia, evening headliners) to bring fresh perspectives

Why Gloucestershire Businesses Should Care

Here are compelling reasons for businesses (especially SMEs) to get involved:

Stay ahead of disruption

Automation and AI are rapidly reshaping how work gets done—from internal processes to customer experience. If your competitors are exploring this terrain, you don't want to be playing catch-up.

Risk mitigation & governance

Understanding the pitfalls (bias, data privacy, legal exposure) is just as important as knowing the opportunities. Tech Week offers a safe environment to ask those questions.

Access to ideas, partners & talent

The event is a talent magnet, bringing startups, developers, academics, investors and government together. You can discover collaborators, hire, or test pilot ideas.

Local economic momentum & visibility

Being active shows you're forward-thinking. It also helps reinforce the regional narrative of "Gloucestershire as a tech hub," which in turn can attract investment and talent to the county.

Low-risk way to experiment

Many sessions are panels, meetups or demos. You can attend without committing huge budgets and use them to explore options, connect with vendors, and test feasibility.

Tips for Maximising Value During Tech Week

Here are strategies to get the most bang for your participation:

Pick a focus
You won't benefit from trying to attend everything. Choose 2–3 verticals (e.g. AI for operations, automation in service delivery, AI governance) and build your schedule around those.
Bring your use cases
Come with specific challenges from your business (e.g. "how do I automate repetitive admin tasks?"). Ask speakers/vendors how those ideas map to your reality.
Book demos early
If there are stalls or labs, reserve slots in advance. Chatting to the toolmakers one-on-one is more valuable than general sessions sometimes.
Schedule networking slots
Leave gaps to meet other attendees, founders, or speakers. Some of the best ideas come in side conversations.
Follow-up fast
After the week ends, reach out to people you met. Turn conversations into pilots, trials, or collaborations.
Amplify your story
If you attend, blog/tweet/share your takeaways, what you learned, and what you plan to test. That signals your company is investing in future tech.

Ready to Explore AI & Automation?

Whether you're attending Gloucestershire Tech Week or looking to implement AI solutions in your business, Epoch AI Consulting can help you navigate the landscape and build practical, secure automation workflows.

Talk to EpochBack to Technology